The goal of this reading program was to maintain the sight vocabulary of primary children over the summer vacation months. The emphasis was on recreational learning through games utilizing inexpensive materials. (Author/STS)

Intended as a survey of the children's short story and aimed especially at parents and education professionals, this anthology provides insight into the historical development of the short story for children, showing how the perception of childhood and changing attitudes have influenced writers of different periods. The anthology is…

Summer reading suggestions are offered for teachers and students. Brief descriptions and sources of 11 children's magazines are provided. (DB)

Presents twelve activities designed to convince the student that reading can be fun and not boring. (JM)

Describes a technique that allows children to share their reading interests with others. (FL)

This book offers assistance to those wishing to introduce children to the best literature, for it highlights memorable works and their creators and, as an added bonus, provides glimpses into the history and eponymous figures behind the Newbery and Caldecott Awards. The book uses a calendar arrangement of more than 1,000 "fun facts" as it…

Describes how series books such as "Nancy Drew,""The Hardy Boys," and Horatio Alger stories can be the basis for lessons on critical reading. (MKM)

This article offers a strategy for helping students to choose material they can read during sustained silent reading periods in school and independently at home. The rubric considers the following readability factors: vocabulary, sentence complexity, topic and concepts, clarity of ideas, level of abstraction, organization, design and format,…

Outlines the steps in presenting a "book talk." Argues that it can be an effective way to broaden children's awareness of literature while developing their verbal skills. (FL)

In conjunction with National Children's Book Week, this article provides activities to motivate children's reading; descriptions of some unusual elementary reading programs; ideas for creating book clubs and reading corners in the classroom; a children's literature quiz; and Allan Yeager's annotated list of the best children's books of this…

Discusses a number of devices for motivating students to read both in and out of the classroom. (DD)

This article presents easy computer projects to send students into the summer feeling good about the past year and looking forward to the next. The projects involve printing summer reading book lists, making bridges to the next grade, publishing books of class events, designing reading posters, and creating summer calendars. (SM)

Proposes a technique that allows students to identify with a character in a story as a method of encouraging them to read. Lists prereading and follow-up questions for use with the technique. (FL)

Most educators recognize the importance of home-school connections, especially for the development of engaged and enthusiastic readers. This collection of 33 articles published in "The Reading Teacher" from 1993 to 1999 presents the "best of the best" classroom-tested ideas and approaches for increasing student motivation for…

Identifies the elements of science fiction that might appeal to adolescent readers and offers suggestions for developing innovative book talks on science fiction books. A bibliography of 133 books, categorized by subgenres such as hard science, space travel, and mysteries, is provided. (eight references) (CLB)